EWG gets far bigger “subsidy” than farmers | Farm Press Blog

Environmental Working Group dodges taxes on $90 million. Tax-exempt foundations avoid similar taxes in money given to EWG

Our friends at the Environmental Working Group continue to look out for us uneducated taxpayers with their latest list of farms receiving “farm subsidies.”

Of course, EWG has spewed its cash generating propaganda all over television. Got to give them credit, EWG knows to spin half truths.

All the major national outlets picked it up without questions. Proclaiming that city dwellers are feeding at the farm subsidy public trough is definitely Page 1 and nightly evening news fodder.

In the spirit of EWG’s taxpayer protection doctrine, let us share with you another organization that is raiding the U.S. Treasury for personal gain; the Environmental Working Group.

As a “non-profit, environmental watchdog” organization EWG does not pay taxes to the federal or state governments. According to Activistcash.com, EWG has a budget of about $6 million annually.

EWG spins its farm subsidy report to cover a 15-year period from 1995 to 2010 to make the numbers even more news grabbing. Following EWG’s lead, that means EWG avoided paying taxes on about $90 million over the same 15-year span; not a bad tax break at taxpayer expense. My taxes covered what EWG did not pay.

Most of EWG’s funding comes from those flush foundations that are basically tax avoiding entities set up by very wealthy people or corporations to avoid paying taxes on a percentage of their earnings. These foundations invest tax deferred money to earn tax-avoiding interest to give to tax dodgers like EWG. That means another non taxable $90 millions.

EWG and its benefactors have fleeced state and federal governments of the taxes on roughly $180 million, far more than any of the so-called worst offenders in EWG’s farm subsidy list for the past decade and a half.

There is a boatload of tax dodging “environmental groups.” According to an article several years ago from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the 12 biggest environmental pressure groups in the United States enjoy combined annual revenues of $1.95 billion, according to the latest Internal Revenue Service figures. Only 725 of the United States' 20 million companies can boast such magnificent cash flow.

EWG’s biggest claim to fame is its “Dirty Dozen” list of pesticide soaked fruits and vegetables. The assertion is full of so much misinformation; it defies logic that the so called mainstream news media pick it up with no questions asked. However, it gets spread all over the airways and front pages to the detriment of the health of Americans who become scared by EWG’s fear-mongering for its own financial gain. The more headlines they grab, the more money flows in.

You have to wonder sometimes why so-called journalists do not question this stuff with facts like the average Amnerican’s lifespan increasing each year and the fact no one reports being poisoned by eating apples.

According to the Defense of Free Enterprise there are 4,000 groups like EWG and they are not really out to protect anyone. They are out to get us and take taxpayer money to support themselves under the guise of a protecting the public.